The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-10
AGRICULTURAL.
Condition Of winter wheat and
Farm Animals. kllRJ sifefo

Condition of winter wheat and
Farm Animals. klSRJ g!fsie
The report OF the Department. Of
Agriculture for April relates to the
condition OF winter grain aud CompsT-
alive healthfulness CT farm animals.
The returns show that the cond ton
Of the sol at the time OF seeoing wheat
YVES somewhat uufavoTable IN the
States on the Atlantic, Pacific and
Gulf coasts, owing to drought during
the late summer and autumn, most
severe in por ions Of Peunsylvan q
Maryland aud Virginia and in parts Of
Texas. The same urf lvorabe cordi-
tons prevailed ia Western Missouri
a;d Kansas. Toe continued dry
weather made blowing difficult, seed
log late, aud in tina localities where it
was uubroken when winter set in
termination was SLOW and the full
growth small. In the great wheat
States OF the central West, from Ten
nessee to Missouri, the seed
bed for the greater part
OF the area was in favorable
conditions and with local exceptions,
the p ant made good grow b before
going to winter quar- ers, Ga the
Psc fic sope the ealy eeediog time
vas dry, but the rains came later and
the whole breadth was pus in fair con-
dition, though somewhat after he
usual date. The covering Of anow
during the early portion Ct the winter
was better than usual over large part
Of the wheat area, bat there ara from
many sections complaints of scanty
protection during the very trying
weather since February 10Th. Tie
month of March was the most severe
for a series Of Year,, the temperature
being below the average over the
whole area east Of the Mississippi
river, and alternate freezing and thaS-
ing wrought serious damage TO bare
fielde, especially In bottom and poorly
drained lands, Pennsylvania, Vir.
gipia and Ohio suffered severely
from this inclemaucy. The general
average OF condition is 88, the same as
in 1881, and higher than at the same
date in 1883 and 1885, wheL it was 80
and rs respectively. The April con-
dition Of last year was 925, which was
still further improved by favorable
weather during the month. The av-
erage for the principal States ara:
New York, 81; Pennsylvania, 20;
Maryland, 81; VirCinis, 70; T.xss, 70 |;
Tennessee, "a; kentucky, go; Ohio,
20; Michigan, 92; Indiana, 90; Illinois
90; Missouri, 95; Kansas, SO; Caliior-
mia, 92; Oregon, 98. Damage from the
Hessian fly is comparatively uunD-
tjced its presence 10 mentioned in from
one to four cOuntiea in New York,
Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania
aud Michigan. Rye has Withslood the
unfavorable meteorological conditions
better than whta the average OF con-
dition being 80, against SO at the same
date a year ago. Tae returns Of con.
dition Of farm animals show q loss of
swine amounting to 1874 per cant OF
b, 1000, aud indicates the continued
widespread prevalence Of hog cholera,
The losses of shaep amounG TO per
cent, OF cattle, 4 $40 per cent. LosIes
Of cattle are heaviest in the South and
or the ranges of the far West-Irom 5
TO 9 per csnt.--while in the sec
where shelter is provided and better
care taken, it amounts to only q to 3
per cant. The loss among horses, 8
usual, is very small, amounting for the
whole country to less that 7-l0 Of one
uef cent.